ENTOMOLOGICAL CABINET 



FORMICA FUSCA. Linne. 

 Common Ant, 



Blackish brown : head large, nearly oval, of a 

 dark brown, with a deep excavation behind near the 

 neck : eyes remarkably small and black ; stemmata 

 or little eyes three, placed in a triangle and distant : 

 antennas reddish brown, the basal joint minute, the 

 second very long, as long as the succeeding eleven 

 joints : mandibles red : thorax dark brown, and 

 with the body covered by a silvery pile, which 

 changes its hue as exposed to the light : legs red- 

 dish : wings fuscus at the base, but transparent and 

 irredescent from the middle to the apex. 



Expansion of the wings 1 inch, length of the body 

 3§ lines. 



Inhabits gardens, and swarms in July and August. 



All the species of this genus are of three sorts — 

 males, females and neuters. The neuters alone la- 

 bour: they form the ant-hill, bring in the provisions, 

 feed the young, bring them to the air during the 

 day, carry them back at night, defend them against 

 attacks, &c. The females are retained merely for 

 laying eggs, and, as soon as that is accomplished, 

 they are discarded. The males and females perish 

 with the first cold ; the neuters remain torpid in 

 their nest. 



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